the "ask crazychemgirl a question" thread

no questions lately.. wow.

Sorry, I was offline all week.

What constitutes a 'bleach'? That is to say, does the word just mean anything that lightens or removes color, or can you tell from the chemical formula that a substance will act as a bleach? How does that work, anyway?
 
I'm sure the world will continue to rotate.


...

they were the best cookies even WITH the problem .. or they were SUPPOSED to be the best cookies BUT you had a problem.. not sure here.

They were Old Fashioned Tea Cakes - the best cookies in the world. Yes, they still tasted good but possibly a little drier than they should have been.
I've made them since I was a kid. I was teaching my sons and one of their GF's how to make them so they can carry on the tradition. It was over 80 deg. that day. The oil has never separated before. Another batch used extra virgin olive oil. It separated some also. Since you are "CHEM girl", I thought you might whip out your magic wand to tell me why this happened.
Happy Year. (not new any more)
MF
 
Further to the question above, how do surfactants work?

I ask because I believe in magic.

Surfactants are masseuses with magic fingers that dig into droplets and relieve their surface tension, allowing the droplets to stretch out and move as fluidly as yoga students.

:eek: I was responding to the word magic, and had no idea a person named Magic Fingers would post ahead of me.
 
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I'm going to put a reminder for myself to answer these questions when I get home.... Cuz sadly I asked for more questions, but I don't even have time to answer them. I blame my schedule of transition metal chemistry, advanced instrumental analysis and wine chemistry.
 
One more, just to add to your workload. Transition metal chemistry...hey baby, how you doin'? ;)

Why is it that over 80% of the steel produced in N.America is from recycled scrap, but only 30% of aluminum products is from recycled mat'l; but aluminum is considered the "green" metal by most of the populace.
 
It's Magic

;)
Surfactants are masseuses with magic fingers that dig into droplets and relieve their surface tension, allowing the droplets to stretch out and move as fluidly as yoga students.

:eek: I was responding to the word magic, and had no idea a person named Magic Fingers would post ahead of me.
I wonder if I could work "surfactants" into the story I'm writing:)?
 
Why did NA have such a severe southerly reaching "Polar Vortex" this winter?

The polar vortex this year was weaker than normal, causing the cold polar winds to reach south vs. staying in the north pole. I think even meteorologists have no idea what happened this year.

Give it time. Classes start up again next week and I have a kid taking Chemistry.

great! how old?

Sorry, I was offline all week.

What constitutes a 'bleach'? That is to say, does the word just mean anything that lightens or removes color, or can you tell from the chemical formula that a substance will act as a bleach? How does that work, anyway?

typically a bleach is an oxidizing agent... most contain chlorine, but the ones that don't are usually peroxides. Some bleaches are reducing agents though.

do you want me to go into the chemistry of oxidizing and reducing?

Further to the question above, how do surfactants work?

I ask because I believe in magic.

surfactants lower the surface tension between two liquids or a liquid and a solid.

What makes someone a man? or a woman? or a child?

their DNA and cells.

They were Old Fashioned Tea Cakes - the best cookies in the world. Yes, they still tasted good but possibly a little drier than they should have been.
I've made them since I was a kid. I was teaching my sons and one of their GF's how to make them so they can carry on the tradition. It was over 80 deg. that day. The oil has never separated before. Another batch used extra virgin olive oil. It separated some also. Since you are "CHEM girl", I thought you might whip out your magic wand to tell me why this happened.
Happy Year. (not new any more)
MF

temperature has fucked up effects on shit.

Surfactants are masseuses with magic fingers that dig into droplets and relieve their surface tension, allowing the droplets to stretch out and move as fluidly as yoga students.

:eek: I was responding to the word magic, and had no idea a person named Magic Fingers would post ahead of me.

interesting name indeed.

One more, just to add to your workload. Transition metal chemistry...hey baby, how you doin'? ;)

Why is it that over 80% of the steel produced in N.America is from recycled scrap, but only 30% of aluminum products is from recycled mat'l; but aluminum is considered the "green" metal by most of the populace.

doing good.. :D

of all the materials that are recyclable ... aluminum is one of the only ones which is 100% recyclable... so there is no loss... whereas something like paper only has about 2 cycles where it can be recycled and then it starts to break down. As well... most of the aluminum products that have been made are still in existence today.

Wine chemistry????

yes.. a class on the chemistry of wine.. also has a lab which includes wine tasting.. bonus!

;)I wonder if I could work "surfactants" into the story I'm writing:)?

that would be an interesting story
 
Why is it that over 80% of the steel produced in N.America is from recycled scrap, but only 30% of aluminum products is from recycled mat'l; but aluminum is considered the "green" metal by most of the populace.

of all the materials that are recyclable ... aluminum is one of the only ones which is 100% recyclable... so there is no loss... whereas something like paper only has about 2 cycles where it can be recycled and then it starts to break down. As well... most of the aluminum products that have been made are still in existence today.

Aluminum has better PR than steel. Simple as that.
 
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